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Post by stevil on Oct 18, 2009 15:57:06 GMT -5
I grew 3 Sarpo varieties this year for the first time (Tominia I've grown for several years and have been very pleased apart from its susceptibility to Scab). I was surprised that the yield of Tominia (in the middle of the 3 in the picture) was much more than Mira (left). Tominia didn't get National Listing in the UK because it was genetically too similar to ‘Sarpo Mira’. However, I'm wondering if Mira is later than Tominia? Axona also didn't yield well compared to Tominia. Had a quick look on the net and found this Garden Organic trial: web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/pot29.htmlThe conclusion was that "TOMINIA was the most impressive, which is a pity, because this is the one which the Ministry have decided won't make it onto the National Listing - it's too similar to MIRA. The Ministry couldn't find sufficient difference between the DNA fingerprints." Any other experiences?
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Post by PatrickW on Oct 18, 2009 16:16:33 GMT -5
Last year I grew Mira and Axona, and had a similar result as you. The yield of axona was much less.
My problem was I wasn't very impressed by the taste of either. I'll be interested if you have any comparisons to make between the varieties in this respect.
That's interesting what you say about the national listing, that's probably why I can't seem to find Tominia anywhere... Even Axona I had to get from the UK. Lieven and I, together with a friend in the UK and another friend of Lieven's went in together in a seed potato order. Shipping potatoes is not cheap!
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Post by stevil on Oct 18, 2009 16:29:02 GMT -5
Will do a taste test - if I have any left as I offered them to the Norwegian Seed Savers and several people have asked for them...
Actually, I just emailed Lieven and asked him if he has any comment to this posting - as I think I gave him a couple of tubers of Tominia when I visited last year. Hopefully he'll pop in soon...
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Post by orflo on Oct 18, 2009 22:41:17 GMT -5
I can only speak about the axona and mira varieties (should find and grow the tominia next year), and I do confirm everything: taste isn't really great, and mira is more productive than axona. These are potatoes that were only selected for resistance qualities, so it's not a surprise that taste isn't great. Tom is working on some better-tasting resistant varieties, let's cross our fingers ...
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Post by flowerpower on Oct 19, 2009 4:27:41 GMT -5
Stevil, you have some good-sized taters there.
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Post by lieven on Oct 21, 2009 8:06:59 GMT -5
I quite agree with the findings of web.ukonline.co.uk/suttonelms/pot29.html: yield & size & blight resistance & scab :-( are very much the same; we haven't tasted Tominia yet. I've tried Sarpo Una too: an early variety, but I got the seed potatoes only in May. Good yield etc, not tasted yet. Willem Haanstra (b.haanstra@home.nl) has offered me an early (?) heirloom tater: Friese Gieltsje, which means Friesian Yellow. He says it's blight resistant ibecause the foliage dies before blight sets in. I'll just try it - Patrick: go & visit this interesting guy in Bolsward!
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